[ad_1]
Pago Pago, American Samoa— American Samoan sprinter Filomenaleonisa Iakopo etched her name firmly into local track and field history by setting a new national record in the women’s 100-meter dash at 9 a.m. on Friday, August 2, 2024 (9 p.m. local time on Thursday, August 1, 2024). Her second milestone was also her personal best.
This was the 18-year-old’s first Olympic appearance, which considering her young age can be regarded as a major milestone in her sporting career and a proud moment for American Samoa on the world stage.
Iacopo said via social media that a total of 91 athletes participated in the competition. They participated in the preliminary elimination rounds and then advanced to the semi-finals on August 3. The top eight sprinters will compete in the highly anticipated finals on the same day.
She said her group had nine runners, including Guam, another U.S. Pacific territory. In the end, she finished eighth with an official time of 12.78 seconds, ahead of Mariam Karim of the United Arab Emirates, who was the last to cross the finish line in 13.26 seconds.
Although she did not advance to the next round, she said her main goal was to break her personal record of 12.83 seconds, and by the grace of the Lord, she accomplished that goal and set a new national record for American Samoa at 12.78 seconds.
“I was nervous and anxious before the race, but I was completely focused before the race,” she recalled. “Physically, I couldn’t do anything else to improve my performance, but I was mentally prepared. I had confidence in my training and my ability to finish the race.
“As I stood on the starting line with the world’s top sprinters, I felt a surge of emotion, thinking back to all the training I had put in to prepare for the race, and to my family and friends in American Samoa and Saipan cheering me on.
“I was determined to do my best and achieve my goal of setting a personal best. Then when the moment came, I mentally cleared my mind and prepared to run. It was the longest 12 seconds of my life as I tried to push every muscle in my body to the limit in order to reach the finish line. It turned out to be the fastest run of my career as I actually broke my previous record!
“The finish line was a blur and I tried to catch my breath and slow my heart rate down before being led back to the warm-up area, still in a trance. Then I saw my mom across the room and she saw me. We ran towards each other. We hugged and cried with joy because we realized my dream had come true.
“We called my dad and brothers via FaceTime to celebrate the moment. This was a special moment for us because my family and coach Peter Pulu all contributed to making this happen. I thank God for his love and guidance throughout this journey, my god sisters on my mother’s side for coming all the way to Paris to support me, and everyone in Pago and Saipan for praying for me.”
Ikpo also thanked American Samoa National Olympic Committee President Tuia’ana Ed Imo and his wife Meafou, Vaiala Ethan Lake and his wife and son, and Chef de Mission Joseph Ioane for their support, who cheered loudly for her.
This year’s much-anticipated women’s 100m final features top sprinters such as American double world sprint champion Sha’Carri Richardson, who is bidding for her first Olympic medal, and three-time Olympic gold medalist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica.
Unfortunately, Fraser-Pryce didn’t make it to the semi-finals and there was no explanation for her decision.
Other big names in the finals include Africa’s fastest woman, Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith of Cote d’Ivoire, Julien Alfred of St. Lucia, 2019 world champion Dina Asher-Smith and Rosemary Chukwuma of Nigeria.
In the end, Saint Lucian’s Julian Alfred won the gold medal with an excellent time of 10.72 seconds, becoming the biggest upset in the women’s 100m final of the 2024 Paris Olympics, while American sprinters Shakari Richardson (the favorite to win) and Melissa Jefferson won the silver and bronze medals respectively.
However, while this was a remarkable result, it did not break the existing world record of 10.49 seconds set by Florence Griffith-Joyner in 1988.
According to American Samoan sprinter Filomena Leonisa, the Olympic Village is huge! She said the buildings were designed to accommodate all the athletes from each country.
The Village consists of a variety of amenities such as a gym, market, nail and hair salon, multiple takeout food trucks, and a 365-day athlete hangout area where athletes can rest and relax.
She revealed that there are areas where athletes can vote for other athletes running for positions on the Athletes’ Commission, a recreational photo booth, a game room, and multiple TVs to watch live broadcasts of other sporting events.
Ikpo said her goal is to continue training and break her current record.
“I still have a lot of work to do and my coach encourages me to keep training because there is always room for improvement,” she said. “Overall, I am very happy with my performance. This was my fastest run to date and I can only get better. I am truly honored to have the opportunity to represent American Samoa at the pinnacle of international sport.”
“I thank Almighty God for his protection and guidance that enabled me to break the American Samoa women’s 100-meter national record and I hope to break this record in the near future if God permits.”
Filomenaleonisa will leave Paris for the mainland on August 12, 2024, where she will attend Baylor University in Waco, Texas, majoring in neuroscience.
She plans to try out for the Baylor University track and field team and continue chasing her dream of competing in the next Olympics.
[ad_2]
Source link
